Strand treatment apparatus

ABSTRACT

Textile strands are compressively crimped by propelling them lengthwise by a fluid jet into buckling contact with crimped strand accumulated in a shallow cylindrical chamber preferably having a foraminous cylindrical wall. The jet has an inlet and an outlet for the strand and a bore therebetween and has at least one opening thereinto for admitting fluid to propel the strand. Deviation from a straight-through bore configuration accommodates change in direction of the strand from the exterior to the interior of the chamber.

O Umted States Patent [191 [111 3,830,421 Stanley Aug. 20, 1974 STRANDTREATMENT APPARATUS 2,447,982 8/l948 Koster 226/97 x [751 Inventor:Robert Stanley, Media, 333151323 623%E?2ii??.ji.......................::::::::. 2 5? [73] Assignee: TexturedYarn Co., lnc., Kenneth Square, Pa. Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher{22] Filed: May 25, 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles A. McClure[21] Appl. No.: 256,816 ABSTRACT Related Application Data Textilestrands are compressively crimped by propel- [60] Division of Ser. No109,204, Jan. 25, l97l,which is i them [engthwise by a fluid jet intobuckling i gw of July contact with crimped strand accumulated in ashallow cylindrical chamber preferably having a foraminous cylindricalwall. The jet has an inlet and an outlet for Ill. the strand and a boretherebetween and has at least one opening thereimo for admitting fluidto propel the [58] new of Search 226/7 28/ fi strand. Deviation from astraight-through bore confi uration accommodates change in direction ofthe [56] References Cited litgmd from the exterior to the interior ofthe cham- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,207,105 7 1940 Payne 226/97 UX 4Clams, 4 Drawmg F'gures STRAND TREATMENT APPARATUS This is a division ofmy copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 109,204 filed Jan. 25, 1971,which was a continuation-in-part of my prior U.S. Pat. application, Ser.No. 58,917 filed July 28, 1970 (and since abandoned).

This invention relates to the apparatus for treatment of textilestrands, as by propelling such a strand lengthwise against strandalready accumulated on strandsupporting means and thereby causing thestrand to buckle into crimped configuration.

In conventional techniques for compressive crimping of textile strandssuch a strand to be crimped usually is forced lengthwise into one end ofa tubular enclosure by feed rolls, although sometimes by fluidtransport, to buckle as it then comes into contact with an accumulationof the same strand previously forced thereinto, after which the crimpedstrand is withdrawn from the leading edge of the strand accumulation bybeing wound up out of the opposite end of the enclosure. Such techniquesuffers from throughput limitations, and the parts of the strand thatslide along the enclosure wall often exhibit different physicalcharacteristics, such as a noticeable dyeability differential, ascompared with the rest of the crimped strand. It is also known to propelstrands against a foraminous barrier or screen to compress themlongitudinally, but such impact is deleterious to strand components,being conducive to breaking thereof. Also, openings in such screens orbarriers tend to snap fine filaments or fibrils and fill up withparticulate matter.

A primary object of the present invention is enhanced uniformity oftreatment in compressive crimping of textile strands.

Another object is compressive crimping of textile strands so as toreduce physical degradation thereof attributable to propulsion, impact,or other handling.

A further object is provision of apparatus for accomplishing theforegoing objects.

Other objects of the invention, together with means and methods forattaining the various objects, will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly diagrammatic, of apparatus accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through an apparatus component of FIG.1 (with strand therein);

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly sectioned and cut away, of anotherapparatus component (with strand therein) taken at III-III on FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus component shown in FIG. 3.

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, inapparatus for treating textile strands to impart a crimped configurationthereto, by means of a strand-propelling jet device having a bore forpassage of textile strand therethrough, having an inlet end for thestrand and at least one opening into the bore for admitting fluid topropel the strand, a common outlet end for both strand and fluid, withan intermediate boredefining body portion deviating from astraight-through bore configuration.

FIG. 1 shows, partly in elevation and partly schematically, a frame ofapparatus useful according to this invention, supporting variouscomponents and with path of strand 11 being treated thereby indicated inbroken lines. The strand is withdrawn from package 12 thereof on asupport at one end of the frame. The strand passes in sequence throughguide 13, around idler roll 14, and through the successive nips ofmetering rolls 17, 17 and 18, 18'. Rolls 17 and 18 are driven by belts 7and 8 from pulleys (not shown) on shaft 9 of motor 10. From the finalroll nip the strand passes via guide 19 to jet 20, shown in greaterdetail in the next view. The jet is supplied with propulsion fluid, asby pump 5, by way of interconnecting rigid and flexible lines designatedgenerally as 6 and provided with pressure gauge 4.

FIG. 2 shows jet 20 on an enlarged scale and sectioned axiallylengthwise. The jet has main inlet tube 21, branch inlet tube 22 (shownat an acute angle thereto) threaded at the end, and hardened insert tube27 extending into the branch tube and retained therein by cap 24threaded onto the end of that branch tube. Junction tube 23 joins bothinlet tubes and terminates in curved outlet end 25. Fluid (indicated byarrow) enters the main inlet tube and propels strand 11 from the branchinlet tube through the junction'tube and the outlet end. As shown in thenext view, the outlet end is substantially parallel to wall 33 ofcylindrical chamber 30 at the locus thereon where the exiting strandimpinges forcibly against strand accumulation already supported thereby.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show cylindrical chamber 30, enlarged in scale as comparedwith FIG. 1, in plan (partly cut away) and sectional elevation,respectively. Vertical shaft 31 supports the chamber, being affixed tolower end or bottom wall 32 thereof. Foraminous cylindrical wall 33joins the peripheral edge of the bottom wall and the peripheral edge ofupper end or top wall 34, which has central opening 35 therein. Junctiontube 23 of jet 20 extends into the shallow cylindrical chamber throughthe central opening in the top wall, and outlet end 25 thereof liesunder the edge of that top wall and along screenlike cylindrical wall33. Crimped strand accumulation 11 (so designated to distinguish it fromoriginal strand ll) lies against the screenlike foraminous wall andbetween the adjoining portions of the top and bottom walls of theshallow chamber.

As shown in FIG. 1, cylindrical chamber 30 is rotated on shaft 31 bybevel gearing 39 (only fragmentarily indicated) driven through belt 37from a drive pulley. Crimped strand 11" (so designated to distinguish itfrom accumulation l1 thereof in the rotating chamber, as well as fromthe original strand) is withdrawn through central opening 35 in the topwall and passes about guide 41 and through stabilization chamber 40,which has entrance and exit openings to accommodate it, From thestabilization chamber it proceeds through guide 42, over windup roll 43,which may be slotted appropriately to traverse the strand, and ontopackage 44 carried on swing arm 45. The swing arm is biased from analternative (shown in phantom) oblique position, useful for packageremoval, against stop 46 by weight 47 suspended on cable 48 passing overpulley 49 and secured to the top of the swing arm. The windup roll isdriven by belt 3 from a similar drive pulley (not shown).

' Operation of the described and illustrated apparatus to practice theprocess of this invention is readily understood. The strand is withdrawnfrom the package or other suitable source by the metering rolls andforwarded thereby to the fluid jet. Suitable propulsion fluid, such asair compressed from the atmosphere, propels the strand through the jetand against strand accumulation supported on the concave interiorsurface of the screenlike foraminous wall of the cylindrical chamber,the fluid dissipating principally through the apertures therein. Theforcible impact of the strand so propelled causes it to buckle intocrimped configuration. The crimped strand accumulation lies in thechannel formed by the top and bottom walls of the shallow cylindricalchamber and against the rotating cylindrical wall, where it is retainedat least in part by centrifugal force.

Inasmuch as the jet is fixed in position and the chamher is rotatingcontinuously, the accumulating crimped strand does not pile up on itselfbut progresses therealong counter to the direction of rotation. Thelocus of impact of of the strand is always at the trailing edge of suchaccumulation, while the leading edge thereof is approximately a halfcircle away, where crimped strand is withdrawn from the accumulationthereof. The windup roll withdraws the crimped strand out from under theoverhanging top wall of the chamber, the locus of withdrawal beingdetermined by the ratio'of withdrawal to rotational speed and the ratioof withdrawal speed to the speed at which the untreated strand ismetered into the crimping zone, as well as by the crimpingcharacteristics of the strand material and also the fluid pressure andflow rate and volume.

.The various speed ratios normally are maintained fixed, as suggested bythe drive belts shown on a common drive pulley, but suitable provisionfor adjusting such ratios as may be desirable is readily available inthe form of continuously variable drive linkages as well as stepwisevariable pairs of pulleys, etc. Of course, the speed at which the strandissues from the outlet end of the jet is considerably greater than therotational speed of the screen at the locus of impact of the issuingstrand against the existing strand accumulation, such as at least twiceand preferably several times as great. The crimping itself reduces theeffective overall length of the strand by a substantial minor fractionin the range of at least about one tenth but less than five tenths,usually between two and three tenths. The windup speed is accordinglyless than the supply (or propulsion) speed. The residual excess ofsupply speed over screen speed causes the strand to accumulate in theillustrated serpentine folds along the screen.

It will be understood that the strand to be treated, although perhapsmost likely uncrimped, may have been crimped previously by any suitablemethod, whereupon the present treatment would superimpose a second crimpupon the first. For example, the strand may have been crimped previouslyby a twist (or false-twist) method and then be compressively crimpedhereby, as suggested with illustration and description together with aconventional compressive or stuffer-crimping operation in my U.S. Pat.No. 2,972,798.

If of drawable composition, the strand often will have been drawn quitesome time before being crimped. However, a drawing step may be performedimmediately before crimping, as suggested with illustration anddescription of a conventional compressive or stuffercrimping operationin my U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,8l4, which lists many drawable strandcompositions suited to draw-crimping operation. The strand may even betaken directly from extrusion to drawing and crimping, as suggested withillustration and description of a conventional stuffer-crimpingoperation in my US. Pat. No. 3,499,953. Draw-crimping according to thepresent invention is readily accomplished by driving the second set ofmetering-rolls (18, 18) at a sufficiently higher surface speed than thefirst set (17, 17), as in a ratioof 4:1, for example.

Thermoplastic textile strands usually may be drawn or crimped (or both)more readily by heating thereof before or at the time of assuming drawnor crimped configuration, as indicated in my aforementioned patents.When draw-crimped the strand preferably is not allowed to coolintermediately but is maintained at temperature conducive to crimping.Preheating to reach (or continued heating to maintain) a desiredstrand-treating temperature is readily accomplished. The propulsionfluid used in the jet may be hot air or steam, for example, so as toheat the strand passing therethrough. The strand may be heated similarlyby an auxiliary hot fluid applied to the strand after contact with anunheated propulsion fluid. Radiant heating of the strand may be providedbetween the jet and the shallow cylindrical chamber. Such heatingtechniques are used especially in the treatment of strands composed ofrelatively thermal-resistant materials, e.g., glass filaments.

Stabilizing the strand in its acquired configuration, as in thementioned stabilization chamber, also customarily involves heat and mayinvolve hot rolls, radiant heating, or treatment with hot fluid (whichmay be supplied from the same source as the propulsion fluid, ifdesired), moist or dry, and may involve tension application. See, forexample, the heat relaxation disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,221,385, andas augmented by a cooling aftertreatment in my US. Pat. No. 3,561,082.Selection of suitable heating means, whether for pretreatment orposttreatment (or both) is well within the ability of persons ordinarilyskilled in the art, and no such heating means is illustrated or furtherdescribed here.

The present invention is adapted to operation at high speeds, such asupwards of a thousand yards or meters per minute. Such speeds are morereadily attainable than in conventional stufi'er-box types ofcompressive crimping because of the readier entry and exit of the strandfrom the shallow cylindrical chamber disclosed here than possible in themore complete enclosure customarily employed. The resulting crimp levelis very even, and no undesirable crimp diminution occurs during windup,which is readily accomplished at relatively low tension.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, modifications may be made therein, as by addition,combination, or subdivision of parts or steps, or substitution ofequivalents, while retaining all or some of the advantages and benefitsof the invention, which itself is defined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. In apparatus for treating textile strands, the improvement comprisinga strand-propelling fluid jet device having a bore for passage oftextile strand and strand-propelling fluid therethrough, having an inletend for admitting fluid to propel the strand, and having an inlet endfor admitting strand to be propelled by the fluid, the respective inletends being oriented at an acute angle relative to one another, andhaving also a more arcuately curved outlet end for both strand and endfor the strand and an inlet end for admitting fluid to propel thestrand, the respective inlet ends being oriented at an acute angle toone another and thereby defining an inlet end plane, and having anoutlet end for both strand and fluid oriented substantiallyperpendicular to the inlet end plane, wherein the outlet end is orientedsubstantially horizontal and below the bore and the inlet ends.

4. Strand-treating apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the fluid inlet end is aligned with the bore.

1. In apparatus for treating textile strands, the improvement comprisinga strand-propelling fluid jet device having a bore for passage oftextile strand and strand-propelling fluid therethrough, having an inletend for admitting fluid to propel the strand, and having an inlet endfor admitting strand to be propelled by the fluid, the respective inletends being oriented at an acute angle relative to one another, andhaving also a more arcuately curved outlet end for both strand and fluidand deviating only thereby from a straight-through bore configuration,wherein the outlet end is curved through an angle of substantiallyninety degrees relative to the otherwise straight-through boreconfiguration.
 2. Strand-treating apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the outlet end is substantially perpendicular to at least one ofthe inlet ends.
 3. In apparatus for treating textile strands, theimprovement comprising a strand-propelling fluid jet device having abore for passage of textile strand and strand-propelling fluidtherethrough, having an inlet end for the strand and an inlet end foradmitting fluid to propel the strand, the respective inlet ends beingoriented at an acute angle to one another and thereby defining an inletend plane, and having an outlet end for both strand and fluid orientedsubstantially perpendicular to the inlet end plane, wherein the outletend is oriented substantially horizontal and below the bore and theinlet ends.
 4. Strand-treating apparatus according to claim 3, whereinthe fluid inlet end is aligned with the bore.